The first Reclaim the Night march took place in the 1970s, as women were angry about the police response to the Yorkshire Ripper. Unfortunately, women are still having fight for the right to feel safe when walking alone at night.
On February 11th, the Women's Network are hosting a Reclaim the Night rally at Staffordshire University. The event is open to all. Please register via Eventbrite before attending.
17:00: Gathering between Science Centre and Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College
17:15: Demonstration begins
18:00: Demonstration moves to Catalyst Building
18:15: Talks begin in the Catalyst Gallery
A survey by the young women’s magazine More in 2005 found that 95% of women don’t feel safe on the streets at night, and 65% don’t even feel safe during the day. 73% worry about being raped and almost half say they sometimes don’t want to go out because they fear for their own safety.
In every sphere of life we negotiate the threat or reality of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment. We cannot claim equal citizenship while this threat restricts our lives as it does. We demand the right to use public space without fear. We demand this right as a civil liberty, we demand this as a human right.
The Reclaim The Night march gives women a voice and a chance to reclaim the streets at night on a safe and empowering event. We aim to put the issue of our safety on the agenda for this night and every day.